Tractor.



E. T. UANIELS.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2o. 191e.

Patented Maf 6, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

limi., .1

Application med November 20, 191g.

To (di 'zr/ioni may convenir.'

iin it known tbnt i, iinnxnin T. DAMELS, n eitizen of tbe YUnitefi Sintes, resiifiing' at 'iitnvnseinh in tbe county of New @istie and nitrite oii Delmvnre intro-invented certain new and nsefni,'improvements in Tractors,

of? which the Atoiiowing is :i speeiiention, Fodero being'. had to tbe neeoniimnymg .tiiiiiinvention teintes to tzi'nntors, und inni "-iitinninore pnrticninriy to :i (i'eviee of this b nomi rhnrneter niiiii one Wiieei typo? und it; in nii object, ot `tito invention to provide n (invito oi tiiiti tenermi rhnrzwter iizivingf,

.inivei nini improved ineens whereby tile traetor may be einiiiouveti for eontrniiing the direction of itel Linvei A 'further object ot' the invention is to "iroviiie a, novei nnfi improved. iieviee ot' this terni. eiinrnnt-er wherein the driving" wheel or mei'ni'ier ie Snn'siioi'teii for turning movet nbont o vertical axis so that. the direction of trnvei of tile device .may be reversed without the necessity of reversing the direction of rotation of the driving' wheel.

fit1 odditioiioi object of the invention is to provide fi novei omi improved device of thin general character which is ndnptod to be conpied Wit/ii o. 'vehicle or the like to be transported Without the necessity ot chang;- ing; or reeonetrnetiing the vnhieie.

Furthermore, it mi object of the invention to provide n, novei :inni :improved de" vire of this; ,generati citare-eter comprising im nnnninr driving member beki. by i snp- 'portiniij structure anni Wheilfein n, motor for opernting tile :innninr tirivinp; member is corrieri by tile supporting structure and positioned nt snbstnntiniiy the nxini rent-er of the nniniinr member.

Tite invention consists in the (ietniis of' ronstrncision anni in the rombiimtion :mii inf rnngenientfot tbe sever/iii parte ot' my .improved tractor whereby eertnin important advantages :ire :ittnineti ami tbe giovine retiiii-reti simpier, iess; expensive Anci otherwise .more ei-,ii'iveniem anni iidvnntngeous for neo, en wiii be iiereinntter more tiiiiy Setforth.

Specieation. of Letters Patent. imi; ii'oigiiiiiii iiii'iiijv iii) Titi) iii,

Serial No. 2263,' 98.

The novel fezitnref of my invention Wiii ,ilereinnfterfbe detiniteiy r'iziimefiii In order that my' intention nin); be iii. bet-ter understooib i( iviii now proeem'i to tie` scribe the sinne, with reference to tbe :to Coinpnnying drawings,` wherein:

Figure l n view in sitio elevation itinetrntng; n tractor constructed in :nrroriinnriif with :in embodiment oi. iny invention;

Fig. i2 in :in eninrigeti iiairfinrntnifj' vien' partly in verticali Het-,tion nini partir in cie-- vntion iilnatrntingg' tbe inonntinggf whereby tbe gironnii-engaging Whoni cniinbin ntf roving ings; movement :ibont n verticni wie;

,Filez 3 nn enbu'geii, fragmentary View piu-ily in' eide elevntion :rnd partly in see tion ililnatintingg certain iietniis of eonstrnetion is herein inciutieii; nini Fig. i is a fragmentary riew pnriiijv in, transverse section und pzirtiy in eieintion illustrating the conc/tion of a sniiporting" wheei nini the trnrk corrieri by hilo gronnti- M sind pinto i :it ite` :mini Center nnffi tbe benin or inrinbel.' Ii is n king; bolt iii, and which king; boity ii nino eoncts in n. roinnntionni manner with it rireninr pinto underlying" the plate It anni sniistnntiniiy in, .Contact tl'ierewith.

The pinte 2 serves in. tile nature oi? n tt'th wheel und the peripberni portion tiierei'ni` is defined by n continuons bevei roei; 3 'boiling' in mesh therewith n pinion 1i. The pinion i in carried by the forward end portion o't n. shaft, "iotntnbiy supported by the. ben-in. or lnrinber ii anni extenciing; iongitntiinoiiy tiiereoi. tonpieii with tbe nner omi pon tion. of the nimt't 5- through tbe ineciiinn oi,B :i universi/ii joint eet' :my fieeireti 'type ifi an end portion of a steering rod 7 of desired length, and the outer end portion of said. rod 7 is provided with a steering wheel '8., rllhe rod 7 is of a length to position the tween which travel the driving member or wheel M. Each of the forks F is substantially diamond shape in forni with its major axis vertically disposed, and said fork 'F substantially midway its length is provided with a pair of transversely alined and inwardly directed lugs or shoulders 9 which coact with the hangers 10 carried by the engine E.,

The engine E is preferably of an internal combustion type and it is positioned substantially at the axial center of the member or wheel M when my improved device is assembled.

Rotatably supported between the forks F at the lower portions thereof and between the side portions of the forks substantially midway their lengths are the 'wheels 1V having their peripheries double hanged as at A and which wheels contact with the annular track T secured to the inner face of the member or wheel M and disposed circumferentially therearound. By this means it will be at once noted that the member or wheel M yis supported by the forks F and is capable,I of rotary movement about a fixed abris with a minimum of frictional resistance.

A sosecured to the inner wheel or face of the annular member or wheel M to one side of the track 10l is an annular toothed rack 11 .disposed circumferentially of the member or wheel M and in mesh with said rack 11 is a gear 19 fixed to a shaft 20 rotatably supported by the rearwardly directed arms 1:2 carried by the inner vertical marginal portions of the forks F substantially inidwa f the length thereof.

lso fixed to an end portion of the shaft 20 and to one side of the member or wheel. M is a sprocket wheel 14 around which is disposed a chain 15. The chain 15 is also directed around a smaller sprocket 16 fixed to the driving shaft 17 of the engine E. The driving shaft-17 has also affixed thereto the balance wheel 18 whereby the drivingpower of the engine E is materially facilitated.

Upon operation of the engine E the mem-y ber or wheel M will be caused to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow a and the direction of travel of the tractor and the coacting vehicle or the'like may be readily controlled by imparting requisite rotation to the rod 7, and should it be desired to reverse the direction of travel of the tractor and its coacting vehicle or the like, it is only necessary to impart a one-lialf turn to the ,plate 2. By this means the necessity of a reverse gearing is eliminated, and which results in material economy in the cost of production.

I have purposely omitted herein any means for controlling the operation of the engine E, as such features form no part of mypresent invention and may be as desired.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a tractor constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the pijnciples and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself toj` the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out iny invention except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a support, forks depending therefrom, each of said forks having their central portion cut away, and provided with oppositely disposed and inwardly directed lugs, a mo'or supported by the lugs of the forks andI operatively engaged with the annular ground-engaging member.

2. A ydevice of the character described comprising a support, forks depending therefrom, an annular ground-engaging member extending between the forks, each of said forks being substantially diamond-shape in form with its major axis vertically disposed, wheels lrotatably supported 'between the forks at the lower portions thereof and substantially midway their lengths, the inner face of the annular member being provided with a circumferentially disposed trackway with which said wheels engage, and a motor carried by the forks for rotating the annular member.

3. A device\of the character described comprising a support, forks depending therefrom, an annular groundeengaging member extending between the forks, each of said forks being substantially diamondshape in form with its major axis vertically disposed, wheels rotatably supported bemorrow tween tfno fortis ot tho fowor portions thereof sind snbstontioly miffwoy tfroir fongths, said Whoofs contacting with tho inner face of the annular member Whoroby said member is hold in oporotiro pooftion; rearwardly directed oms oorriool by tho innor vertical marginal portion@ of tho forksl substontiaffy midway. their lengths, aaoar suoported botwoen sind mme and in driving Vcommotion with tho annular mem- 10 bor, ond o motor supporto@ by the forks for driving the gear.

fn testimony whereof Ivhereunto afx my signature in tho presence of two Witnesses. f EDWARD T. DANIELS.

1fftnessos 'fr-rooms E. ffnrron,

HonACn'H. VANHORN. 

